Bridge



(No Model.)

C. S. STROWBRIDGE.

TENSION REGULATING DEVICE FOR WIRE WINDING MACHINES.

' No. 438,782 Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

Wjnvagews 7" &

' UNITED STATES PATENT FEIoE.

CLARENCE S. STROW'BRIDGE, OF HAMILTON, NEI/V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THEHAMILTON \VIRE CLOTH COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

TENSION-REGULATING DEVICE FOR WIRE-WINDING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,782, dated October21, 1890.

Application filed February '7, 1890. Serial No. 339,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE S. STROW- BRIDGE, of Hamilton, in thecounty of Madison and State of New York, have invented certain newanduseful Improvements inTension-Regulating Devices for Wire-findingMachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and eXact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for winding or spooling wire.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification,and in which similar figures of reference indicate like parts in theseveral figures, Figure 1' shows a side elevation, partly in section, ofthe machine in use. Fig. 2 shows the same parts as shown in Fig. 1 atrest or before the wire is appplied. Fig. 3 shows the reel and adjacentparts as they would appear from the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a topview of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 show details relating to the reel and tothe movable collar on which it rests.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame on which the mechanismis mounted. Secured in the frame and projecting above it is a spindle 2,on which is mounted the reel 3. The reel 3 is mounted loosely, so as torotate on spindle 2, and sits upon friction-blocks 4 4 on the frame whenthe several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. Adjacent to thereel is provided, secured to the frame, an upright post 5, around whichthe wire may be made to pass as it is drawn from the reel.

A tension-arm 6 is pivoted to the frame at 12, and is provided with oris part of a bellcrank lever, one arm of which extends substantiallyhorizontally and is connected by a pin 9 to lever 7, pivoted at 8 to theframe, the pin 9 engaging a slot in the lever 7.

Upon spindle 2 is a collar 10, which is vertically movable and isconnected by an arm or sleeve 11 with lever 7. Pivoted at 13 in theframe is a crooked lever 14, the upper end of which passes beneath andis adapted to engage the arm or sleeve 11, the lower end extending to aconvenient point to be operated by the foot. 15 is a guide for theswinging tension-arm 6, and 16 are a number of pulleys mounted on thearm 6. 17 indicates the wire, and 18 the bobbin or spool onto which itis to be wound.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: In its normalposition, or when the machine is not in motion, the reel 3 rests uponfriction-blocks 4, which act as a brake on the 'free rotation of thereel. From the reel the wire is preferably passed around post 5, thencearound one of the pulleys 16 on the ten sion-arm 6, thence around thereel, thence to another pulley 16, thence around the reel, and then tothe spool 18. This particular thread ing of the machine is notessential; but it is the one shown. When the wire is drawn onto thespool, if the resistance becomes too great the tension-arm 6 will bedrawn toward the reel, which, acting through the pivoted levers andsleeve described, brings the collar 10 to bear on the under side of thereel, raising it more or less off the blocks 4, thus reducing orrelieving it of friction, when the wire will run freely.

In case of breakage of the wire during the spooling, the tension-arm 6is allowed to fall away from the reel, actuated by the weight of thereel, and the reel will drop onto the blocks 4 and stop; and when inreadjusting the wire it becomes desirable to rotate the reel it may beraised off of the friction-blocks by placing the foot on the lever 14,when the reel will rotate freely in either direction. The weight of thereel tends to throw or swing the tension-arm away from the reel.

It is evident that variations and modification in and from theconstruction described 0 may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the spindle, the reel, the brake-block, thesliding collar on the spindle and on which the reel rests, and atension-arm pivoted to the frame and adapted to swing toward the reelinto substantially vertical and working position and connect- 10o ingwith the collar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the vertical spindle,

the reel mounted on the spindle, the frictionblock at the foot of thespindle under the reel, the sliding collar on the spindle, and theswinging tension-arm pivoted to the frame and adapted to swing towardthe reel into substantially vertical and working position and connectingwith and operating to raise the collar as it swings toward the reel,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the spindle, the reel mounted thereon, thefriction-blocks under the reel, the collar under the reel, thetensionarm connected with the collar, and the footlever connecting withthe collar, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the spindle, the reel mounted thereon, thefriction-blocks under the reel, the vertical post adjacent to the reel,the collar on the spindle, the swinging tensionarm, and the connectionsbetween the collar and tension-arm, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CLARENCE S. STROVBRIDGE.

Witnesses:

GEO. G. SPERRY, A. F. LINDsLEY.

